Jimmy Wallhead Replaces Injured Tom 'Kong' Watson At BAMMA 7
"Judo" Jimmy Takes On Frank Trigg In A Non-Title Fight
London, England – Wednesday August 10th, 2011 – Europe’s largest and most prominent Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion, The British Association of Mixed Martial Arts (BAMMA), confirmed today that a back injury has forced Middleweight Champion Tom “Kong” Watson to withdraw from his title defense at BAMMA 7 against Frank Trigg. Former Bellator welterweight tournament participant ‘Judo’ Jim Wallhead (21-6) has agreed to step in for the injured Watson and will face Trigg in a non-title bout. BAMMA 7 will take place on September 10 at The National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.
Jim Wallhead (21-6), stable mate of Paul ‘Semtex’ Daley and Dan ‘The Outlaw’ Hardy, was riding an impressive eight fight win streak prior to suffering a recent loss to Rick Hawn at Bellator 35. Wallhead went undefeated for three years prior to his loss to Hawn and clinched numerous victories, including impressive unanimous decision wins over Che Mills and Ryan Thomas. Determined to come back strong, Wallhead jumped at the opportunity to step in for the inured Watson to face UFC veteran Frank “Twinkle Toes” Trigg, in what is sure to be an all-out war in the cage.
Jimmy Wallhead had this to say, “I’m really grateful BAMMA have given me this chance to fight on such a big card against a high level athlete like Frank Trigg. It’s a test that I'm looking forward to but I hope he doesn't think I'm just a late replacement who is there for a quick payday, I'm there to get back to where I belong, at the top, above people like him.”
Tom Watson, who hopes to be fully recovered and back in action by December for BAMMA 8, asked BAMMA executives to issue the following statement regarding his withdrawal.
“It is with massive regret that I have to postpone my fight with Frank Trigg. As you may or may not know, I recently suffered a back injury. Unfortunately, after several sessions with multiple doctors, I have been informed that I will not be cleared to fight. Two different doctors have said that they cannot clear me to fight in September, meaning that not only would I fail my medical, but also that BAMMA would be putting my health at risk, something they are not willing to do,” stated Watson.
“Respectfully, BAMMA has decided to move my title fight, as fighter safety is of paramount importance to the BAMMA organization. I am hoping to be fully recovered and cleared to fight in time for BAMMA 8 in December. Please continue to read my blog on MSN.co.uk and follow me on Twitter at @tomkongwatson for updates on my recovery. I look forward to seeing you all at BAMMA 7 anyway for a great fight card. Adios for now, I'll be back soon!”
In addition to Wallhead vs. Trigg, the BAMMA 7 card will also feature a championship bout between BAMMA’s World Lightweight Champion Rob Sinclair and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt Leonardo Santos. Additionally, Ultimate Fighter Season 8 winner Efrain Escudero will face reigning UCMMA Lightweight Champion Tim Radcliffe.
This is an exciting night of MMA action that fight fans will not want to miss! Many more fights are expected to be announced over the next 24 hours, so stay tuned!
GoDaddy.com presents BAMMA 7 in association with Lonsdale and PKR.com on Saturday September 10th at The National Indoor Arena, Birmingham, UK
Buy Tickets from www.bamma.com and www.theticketfactory.com
Watch it live and exclusive on Syfy (UK) at 9pm GMT, The Fight Network (Canada) and worldwide at www.bamma.tv at 4pm ET / 1pm PT
BAMMA MEDIA CONTACTS:
U.S./INERNATIONAL - Melissa Ingram 602-434-5055 Melissa@ingrampr.com www.ingrampr.com
UK MEDIA ENQUIRIES/EVENT PRESS PASSES - Liam Fisher 01922 44 33 26 media@bamma.com
High res images and interviews with fighters and BAMMA personnel are available upon request.
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BAMMA (The British Association of Mixed Martial Arts) is Europe's biggest and most premier MMA organization, launched in June 2009 with the aim of delivering Mixed Martial Arts events that fully capture the entertainment and sporting prowess on display in the world’s fastest growing sport. To achieve this aim, BAMMA brought together a team of highly skilled individuals with a wealth of combined experience across television production event organization, brand marketing and Mixed Martial Arts and set out to push the boundaries of MMA. BAMMA’s combination of arena sized venues, stunning fight cards and exceptional production values has led to BAMMA’s unrivalled position as Europe's leading MMA promotion. With a highly experienced team and a presenting crew that includes Michael Schiavello, each BAMMA event always delivers a highly anticipated and unique experience. For more information, please visit www.Bamma.com.
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